Voters will soon be able to drop off completed ballots 24 hours every day of the week at two county buildings that are open 24/7. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 15 approved $45,000 to install ballot boxes and signs at the Mount Vernon and North County Governmental Centers at the initiative of Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 election started on Sept. 18. Virginians will elect a U.S. Senator and 11 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and vote on three proposed state constitutional amendments. Fairfax County residents will also vote on two bond referendums.

The voting box funds approved by the Board will also pay for security cameras and other security features. “In line with Virginia Department of Elections standards, they are designed specifically as ballot drop boxes and will be under video surveillance 24 hours a day,” emailed Sean T. Stewart, Communications Division Chief of the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

In the Mount Vernon Governmental Center at 2511 Parkers Lane, the box will be located inside near the Supervisor’s office’s front door and next to the police station’s front desk. 

At the North County Governmental Center at 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston, the box will be in the lobby. 

The county’s Office of Elections’ target installation date is sometime in October. According to Stewart, his office “is moving quickly to finalize procurement, source additional necessary equipment and coordinate installation with the appropriate county agencies.”

Supervisor Storck said, “I am pleased to see my initiative to provide 24/7 ballot drop boxes throughout early voting at the Mount Vernon and North County Governmental Centers approved. 

“Every election cycle, our office hears from hundreds of residents looking for a convenient and secure way to return their ballots outside of the normal early voting hours and days. This will give voters another option that works with their schedules. I often work late or on weekends, so when you stop by, give me a wave. My office is the one with all the plants.”

A 24/7 ballot box is also available at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax, up to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.  Voters can also use drop boxes at early voting sites when voting is taking place and on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at their polling place.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “Voter fraud related to ballots sent by mail or placed in drop boxes is extremely rare — so rare that multiple analyses have shown that it is more likely that someone will be struck by lightning than commit mail ballot fraud. 

“While practices vary by state, among the most common is monitoring drop boxes by video surveillance or with bipartisan teams of election workers to ensure that votes are not stolen or tampered with. Another widely used method is ensuring that bipartisan teams are present when mail ballots are handled, including when they are processed and counted.”

For voting information, including all Fairfax County early voting locations, dates and times, visit

 https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/early-voting.